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Visitors Learn about the Historic Murals at the Painted Desert Inn

NPS

Exploring Petrified Forest National Park
Points of Interest and FacilitiesIn order as seen from north to south

Painted Desert Visitor Center provides information, book sales, exhibits, and restrooms. Timeless Impressions, a free orientation film about the park, is shown every half hour. A restaurant, gift shop, gas station, and convenience store are adjacent to the visitor center.

Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark, located at Kachina Point, once served as a respite for travelers along historic Route 66. From the inn, you may view distant vistas and exhibits while touring this historic building.

Puerco Pueblo, a large archeological site, was occupied over 600 years ago. The pueblo has been partially excavated and a few of the room foundations stabilized. The trail also features views of petroglyphs.

Newspaper Rock has more than 650 petroglyphs adorning boulders below the overlook. Because of unstable slopes, the area is closed below the cliff. Free spotting scopes are available at the viewpoint.

Blue Mesa is an ideal place to experience hiking in a badlands setting. The one-way spur road leads to the mesa top, a four-mile round trip from the main park road. Numerous petrified logs can be seen from the overlooks along the road as well as on the trail.

Jasper Forest showcases one of the largest accumulations of petrified wood in the park. As the cliff sides eroded, logs tumbled into the valley below.

Crystal Forest, Long Logs, Agate House, and Giant Logs are all trails that feature the many wonders of Petrified Forest. Refer to the Trails section for more information.

Rainbow Forest Museum provides exhibits of petrified wood, fossils, and displays of prehistoric animals as well as information, book sales, and restrooms. Timeless Impressions, a free orientation film about the park, is shown every half hour. A gift shop and a seasonal snack bar are located nearby.